October 5, 2013 from sunset to sunrise
Ad Astra, Light_Scape and RevitaLife / Group Exhibitions
Bata Shoe Museum
327 Bloor Street West
With a challenge to bring deeper sensorial texture to existing urban spaces, Ryerson architecture students put their creativity on show last night at the Bata Shoe Museum, playing host to unprecedented crowds patiently lined up for a chance to experience their immersive, re-imagined
landscapes.
Crowds stretched all the way around the corner of St George as visitors lined up for a chance to see creative re-adaptations of the museum’s main communal areas.
“It all began with a challenge,” explained Kevin Pu, spokesperson for the Ad Astra project, “our professor challenged us to bring greater sensorial dimension to existing architecture—to transform vacant spaces into responsive, interactive environments.”
Ad Astra: a collaborative project featuring responsive silver spheres sequencing light and music.
With a mandate to exploit the untapped potential of what may otherwise be seen as sparse communal spaces, the students presented a trio of exhibitions centered on the manipulation of light and sound. Using both ultrasonic and touch sensors, visitors were encouraged to translate their moods and adapt their surroundings.
Against a blank background, Light_Scape turns touch-sensitive LED cubes into interactive sculpture.
“The ultrasonic sensors react to visitors,” affirmed Lisa Chen, member of the RevitaLight group, “but they also serve as a record of movement.” In other words, the installations not only necessitate visitor interaction but effectively reflect it: a concept which, on a night devoted to communal participation like Nuit Blanche, played seamlessly.
Visitors exploring the interactive nature of RevitaLight’s responsive character.
Channeling technological innovations to cater individual adaptations, these exhibitions become more than creative architectural explorations, effectively reflecting our society’s individualist character.
Text and photo: Veronica Scarpati